Carmine's
Written: Feb 22 '01 (Updated Apr 09 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
 |
|
| Quality of Service: |
|
|
|
Pros: Romantic and atmospheric. Good service and food.
Cons: Menu's are on the walls far away from the seats. (?)
The Bottom Line: Nice place for couples or small groups after a Broadway show.
|
|
|
| samadust's Full Review: Carmine's |
There are a couple of Carmine's around the city but this one is in the heart of the tourist and Broadway show district of Times Square. Right in the center of all of the bright lights and glaring ads, off to the side on 44ths street, half a block down from the theatre in which "Fosse" is showing, Carmine's sits behind a tall glass window in dimly lit room.
The atmosphere is made complete with darkened bricks on the wall hung with vines and warm lights. Along the right wall there is a bar and the seating area is spread out generously to the left. The ceiling is way too high and the room is way too wide for it to be cozy but the candle lit tables and starched white cloths begin a mood of romanicism that can be completed with a glass of Merlot or Fog Mountain Cabernet.
The service, as expected, is prompt and courteous, overly friendly reflecting the exorbitant prices. The host will whisk you away to your table and soon after the waiter will make his appearance offering wine and all types of special delights. But ultimately, you'll find yourself staring at the white table wondering why you never recieved a menu. Once you realize that Carmine's has no table menu and that the menu is kept posted in chalk on either wall, you either begin to strain your eyes or get up to read the menu. That's a minus (-) although a small one.
This minor inconvenience will be redeemed once the food comes. I ordered the chicken parmesan and recieved a platter that was large enough to feed two people but was surprised to see that it comes with nothing besides the chicken. It was unbelievably tender, like the meat had come from a chicken who had lived a life of Thai massages. The cheese was very fresh and plentiful and the robust sauce was distributed just enough so it wasn't dry and/or too saucy.
The wine went very well with the food. At one point I spilled my half full glass all over the table and left a huge circle of vermillion around my plate. The waiter, without asking replaced my glass and laid a cloth over the spill. It was nice not to have to ask or insist that I get another glass especially since the first one spilled because the table was rocking.
The bill for chicken parmesan and two glasses of wine was not more than $34 which is not bad for dinner for two. I'd recommend Carmine's but if you would like a quieter, cozier place, the one on Broadway on the Upper West Side might be better.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
samadust
|
|
Member: Douglas Flowe
Location: USA
Reviews written: 182
Trusted by: 94 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.